Canada: Our Home, and Native Land
One thing that must be said about Canada: excellent marketing, both internally and externally. We are known for being a beautiful nation of natural wonders, with friendly people who are always saying sorry and willing to lend a helping hand. Growing up, I travelled happily with the Canadian flag on my backpack, and felt a sense of national pride when I saw how we conducted ourselves on the world stage. Canada Day was a day of celebration, with the Canada Day Picnic on Gorge Waterway being a highlight of the year. It was a great place to grow up, and I am still very grateful to have grown up as a Canadian. I have benefited immensely from my citizenship, and all the opportunities that the country afforded me.
This year however, more than ever, all Canadians are reflecting on the unspeakable tragedies that are being unearthed at residential school sites across the nation. The number of bodies of native children that are being discovered in unmarked graves on a nearly daily basis are shocking, many of which being in my home province of British Columbia. Over 200 children’s bodies outside of Kamloops. Over 700 children’s bodies in Saskatchewan. This is likely just the start, and doesn’t even begin to cover the torture and abuse that so many suffered, both the living and the dead.
It was easy growing up, to deflect any criticism of Canada by comparing us to the USA. Look at the Trail of Tears! Look at the slavery! Sometimes it’s easier to point fingers, than to look at yourself in the mirror. Even now, Canada’s mighty marketing machine is in effect. When you look at the articles written about the residential schools, many of the photos you’ll see will be in black and white, implying that this is some bygone era, a crime of the past. But this is not the reality. Some of these schools were open into the 1970s, and victims of this abuse are alive and suffering today. Children ripped from their families, tortured and abused if they spoke their native language or participated in any of their cultural traditions, and in many cases, killed or left to die.
It’s appropriate that our national anthem begins, “Oh Canada, our home and native land”. That’s how I feel about the land of my birth. I’ve moved to the UK and lived here for the past 11 years, but I still consider Canada my home. It was a wonderful place to grow up, and I have so many happy memories there. That said, we as Canadians must accept that our nation’s historic and current treatment of native peoples is entirely anathema to our stated beliefs and national character. The modern nation of Canada is built on native land, literally on top of the bones of the original inhabitants, and as a Canadian I feel that it’s my responsibility to at least understand the real history of the country, and do what I can to make amends to those who suffered at the hands of our nation.
I don’t know enough to give advice on next steps. I’ve seen many people donating to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, and I have done the same here: https://www.irsss.ca/ . In the meantime, I will not turn a blind eye to this unfolding story, and will do what I can to spread the uncomfortable truth of this dark chapter in our nation’s history.